GILGIT, April 16: The government is spending Rs88 million on promotion of tourism in Northern Areas, a senior official said. He said the government was taking keen interest in socio-economic uplift of Northern Areas and was spending a huge amount on various projects to bring the area at par with developed areas of the country.

A spokesman for the tourism department said here on Sunday that the government was focusing on projects including health, education, communication hydro-power, tourism and water supply schemes.

The official said the projects included construction of the Gilgit-Naltar road at a cost of Rs20 million. He said rest houses and tourist resorts were also being constructed to attract local and foreign tourists.

He said the development projects were being completed at a fast pace under directives of the chief executive of Northern Areas, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat.—APP